Scottish Executive

Blood Transfusion Service

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what viruses and diseases haemophiliacs have been exposed to through blood transfusion products.

Mr Frank McAveety: The Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) screens blood donations for HIV, HTLV, syphilis, hepatitis B and C. SNBTS has no knowledge of any of these infections having been transmitted to any haemophiliacs by transfusion of plasma derivatives manufactured by SNBTS since April 1987.

  This is an area in which the science is very complex. I will write to you providing further information and will place copies of my letter in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Community Safety

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the £0/15/15 million to be invested in tackling anti-social behaviour through neighbourhood wardens, support schemes and other local initiatives, as referred to in Building a Better Scotland: Spending Proposals 2003-2006: What the money buys , will be allocated to the (a) Dumbarton parliamentary constituency, (b) Argyll and Bute Council and (c) West Dunbartonshire Council in each year and to what projects.

Ms Margaret Curran: The programmes to be supported under this package of funding are still being developed. Further announcements will be made shortly.

Crime

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to tackle hate crime against people with learning disabilities.

Hugh Henry: The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) has established a newly constituted Race and Community Relations Standing Committee to reflect the importance ACPOS gives to diversity issues. The new committee has several portfolios, one of which is disability/mental health. ACPOS is currently consulting with major stakeholders to ascertain which issues on disability/mental health the committee should consider addressing.

Crime

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is measuring the level and type of hate crime against people with learning disabilities and whether it has any performance targets in this area.

Hugh Henry: The Executive collates and publishes crime statistics from information recorded by the police. The police do not record either the level or type of hate crime against people with learning difficulties or any other disabilities. Only the nature of the offence is recorded.

Crime

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether police forces are receiving any specialised diversity and hate crime related training.

Hugh Henry: The Scottish Police College has developed a National Equal Opportunities Training Strategy (NEOTS) which covers all aspects of equal opportunities. NEOTS training has been incorporated into the new Probationer Training Programme. In addition to this centrally delivered training, all police forces in Scotland are now running NEOTS courses. The college also delivers a two-day Diversity Awareness course.

  The Scottish Police College has recently appointed a Diversity Co-ordinator and is in the process of setting up a diversity panel, made up of officers from all police forces, whose remit will be to advise the college on diversity issues.

Education

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West): To ask the Scottish Executive what efforts it is making to ensure that any future publication of school league tables or examination performance results gives a more detailed assessment of the relative performance of schools by including factors other than examination results.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive does not publish school league tables. All local authorities and schools now have to publish reports on their progress against all five of the National Priorities in Education which cover: achievement and attainment; framework for learning; inclusion and equality; values and citizenship, and learning for life. These progress reports will set measures of examination performance in a wider context. The Executive plans to publish a national report of the baseline position against the National Priorities in Education later this year.

Employment

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many jobs have been created in the Clydesdale parliamentary constituency in each year since 1996.

Iain Gray: The information requested is not held centrally.

Equal Pay

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current status is of the Close the Gap campaign.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Close the Gap Campaign was launched in March 2001 and will run until at least 2005. Current activities under the Close the Gap Development Partnership include attendance of campaign representatives at seminars, conferences and other events, organisation of training events, and the dissemination of leaflets and publicity materials to employers, employees, trade unionists and advisors aimed at raising awareness of the gender pay gap and steps that can be taken to tackle it.

Equal Pay

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking, or is considering, to address the earnings differential between men and women.

Ms Margaret Curran: As an employer, the Scottish Executive is committed to carrying out an equal pay review. For further information regarding this, I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-27237 on 29 July 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

  The Close the Gap Campaign is the main initiative supported by the Scottish Executive that focuses on raising awareness of the gender pay gap and to take steps to address it. For further information about the campaign, I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-33512 today. More widely, the Scottish Executive is committed to mainstreaming equal opportunities in all its policies and legislation. Many of the Scottish Executive’s policies relating to education, training and economic development include reducing the barriers to women getting into work, being promoted at work or starting and maintaining a successful business.

Equal Pay

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many businesses signed up to the Close the Gap campaign.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Close the Gap Campaign partnership includes organisations representing businesses such as the Confederation of British Industry, Scottish Council for Development and Industry, Scottish Chamber of Commerce and Federation of Small Businesses. We do not have a record of all of the businesses that have participated in Close the Gap events or received information about the campaign.

Equal Pay

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the programme of work with employers and employees under the Close the Gap campaign involved and how this programme’s success was measured.

Ms Margaret Curran: Activities under the Close the Gap Campaign have included seminars, conferences, road shows, training events, preparation of leaflets and publicity materials disseminated to employers, employees, trade unionists and advisors aimed at raising awareness of the gender pay gap and steps that can be taken to tackle it such as encouraging employers to undertake pay audits using the Equal Opportunities Commission Scotland’s Equal Pay Review Kit which was launched at a Close the Gap Conference in September 2002.

  The Close the Gap Campaign was launched in March 2001 and will run until at least 2005. The work of the Close the Gap Development Partnership, which is the main part of the Close the Gap Campaign, will be monitored and evaluated.

Equal Pay

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken under the Close the Gap campaign.

Ms Margaret Curran: In March 2001 the Scottish Executive launched the Close the Gap Campaign to raise awareness about the gender pay gap in Scotland by working together with unions, enterprise, business and employers.

  In November 2001, funding of nearly half a million pounds of European money was granted for a Close the Gap Development Partnership through the EQUAL European Community Initiative.

  Activities under the development partnership have included seminars, conferences, road shows, training events, and preparation of leaflets and publicity materials disseminated to employers, employees, trade unionists and advisors.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it interprets the principle of relative stability as a rule concerning access to waters and resources within the meaning of Article 19 of EU Council Regulation (EC) No. 2371/2002.

Ross Finnie: We understand relative stability to be a rule concerning access to resources within the meaning of Article 19 of EU Council Regulation (EC) No. 2371/2002.

  Specifically, relative stability underpins the rules concerning allocation of fishing opportunities, in as much as those opportunities shall be distributed in such a way as to assure each member state relative stability of fishing activities for each stock or fishery (Article 20 of EU Council Regulation (EC) No. 2371/2002).

Food Safety

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made regarding the inquiry into the proposed EU regulations on official controls on products of animal origin intended for human consumption (COM (2002)377 final).

Mrs Mary Mulligan: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-33383 on 14 February 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Housing

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why the compensation package for homeowners in Ainslie Road and Maclehose Road, Cumbernauld, has been based on the current value of their properties and not on the value that the properties would have had if the construction defects had not been present.

Ms Margaret Curran: It is for the North Lanarkshire Council to interpret and apply the law on compensation should they decide to acquire properties at Ainslie Road and Maclehose Road, Cumbernauld. No package of compensation and assistance has yet been agreed. North Lanarkshire Council is examining these matters in discussion with relevant stakeholders.

Housing

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures were in place at the time of construction in order to identify construction defects such as those now identified as affecting housing in Ainslie Road and Maclehose Road, Cumbernauld; who had responsibility for ensuring that any such procedures were followed, and why the defects were not identified and prevented at the time of construction.

Ms Margaret Curran: The underlying construction methods used in the flats at Ainslie Road and Maclehose Road were regarded at the time of the construction of the flats as accepted practice. The building of these properties would have been subject to the standards and inspection processes required by the local byelaws or the building regulations as they applied at the time.

Housing

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail any act and section in legislation that would prevent a larger compensation package being offered than that offered to homeowners in Ainslie Road and Maclehose Road, Cumbernauld.

Ms Margaret Curran: Any compensation paid will need to be in accordance with the statutory provisions used by North Lanarkshire Council should it decide to acquire the properties in question. No package of compensation and assistance has yet been agreed. North Lanarkshire Council is examining these matters in discussion with relevant stakeholders.

Housing

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current position is regarding reviewing the availability of grants under section 54 of the Housing Act 1988 that are presently paid to registered social landlords in order to mitigate their liability for corporation tax.

Ms Margaret Curran: I have asked Mr Bob Millar, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:

  A working group was established to review the impact of the withdrawal of tax relief grants. The working group’s recommendation has been accepted that Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) will continue to be in receipt of tax relief grant and be able to claim 75%, 50% and 25% of their tax liability during the RSL financial years completing March 2003, 2004 and 2005 respectively. There will be an additional safeguard during the phasing out period whereby RSLs will be able to claim up to £100,000 if this is greater than these amounts. There is an expectation that the grant scheme will cease at the end of 2005.

Housing

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-33550 by Ms Margaret Curran on 6 February 2003, what the expected timescale is for the implementation of changes made in the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 under which the installation of a main-door entry phone system in buildings of common ownership will be specifically identified as work eligible for financial assistance through housing improvement and repairs grants.

Ms Margaret Curran: It is expected that regulations to implement these changes will be laid before Parliament during the summer session and, if approved by Parliament, will come into force in the early autumn this year.

Justice

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30309 by Mrs Elish Angiolini on 18 November 2002, how many (a) proceedings were taken by procurators fiscal and (b) convictions were obtained under sections (i) 4(2), (ii) 4(3) and (iii) 5(3) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 in 2001, broken down by sheriff court.

Hugh Henry: The available information is given in the following table.

  Persons Proceeded Against Under Sections 4(2), 4(3) and 5(3) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 19711, 2001

  

 

Section 4(2) 
  

Section 4(3) 
  

Section 5(3) 
  



Proceeded against 
  

Charge proved 
  

Proceeded against 
  

Charge proved 
  

Proceeded against 
  

Charge proved 
  



All Courts2


35 
  

28 
  

1,139 
  

827 
  

615 
  

429 
  



Non-Sheriff Courts 
  

1 
  

0 
  

297 
  

244 
  

6 
  

4 
  



Sheriff Court 
  



Aberdeen 
  

0 
  

0 
  

37 
  

30 
  

19 
  

16 
  



Airdrie 
  

0 
  

0 
  

22 
  

10 
  

22 
  

14 
  



Alloa 
  

0 
  

0 
  

1 
  

0 
  

12 
  

8 
  



Arbroath 
  

0 
  

0 
  

6 
  

6 
  

2 
  

2 
  



Ayr 
  

0 
  

0 
  

18 
  

6 
  

31 
  

17 
  



Banff 
  

0 
  

0 
  

7 
  

5 
  

6 
  

4 
  



Campbeltown 
  

0 
  

0 
  

4 
  

3 
  

3 
  

1 
  



Cupar 
  

1 
  

1 
  

6 
  

6 
  

1 
  

0 
  



Dingwall 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

2 
  

2 
  



Dornoch 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Dumbarton 
  

1 
  

1 
  

11 
  

6 
  

21 
  

12 
  



Dumfries 
  

2 
  

2 
  

14 
  

13 
  

3 
  

2 
  



Dundee 
  

0 
  

0 
  

9 
  

8 
  

10 
  

8 
  



Dunfermline 
  

1 
  

1 
  

11 
  

8 
  

13 
  

8 
  



Dunoon 
  

2 
  

1 
  

6 
  

1 
  

4 
  

2 
  



Duns 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Edinburgh 
  

12 
  

9 
  

80 
  

65 
  

48 
  

41 
  



Elgin 
  

0 
  

0 
  

5 
  

5 
  

7 
  

6 
  



Falkirk 
  

0 
  

0 
  

36 
  

29 
  

12 
  

12 
  



Forfar 
  

0 
  

0 
  

8 
  

8 
  

3 
  

3 
  



Fort William 
  

0 
  

0 
  

2 
  

2 
  

4 
  

4 
  



Glasgow 
  

3 
  

2 
  

258 
  

163 
  

147 
  

92 
  



Greenock 
  

0 
  

0 
  

19 
  

15 
  

24 
  

19 
  



Haddington 
  

0 
  

0 
  

1 
  

1 
  

3 
  

3 
  



Hamilton 
  

0 
  

0 
  

62 
  

28 
  

74 
  

45 
  



Inverness 
  

0 
  

0 
  

19 
  

17 
  

6 
  

6 
  



Jedburgh 
  

1 
  

1 
  

4 
  

4 
  

1 
  

1 
  



Kilmarnock 
  

1 
  

1 
  

36 
  

25 
  

32 
  

22 
  



Kirkcaldy 
  

1 
  

1 
  

19 
  

11 
  

13 
  

8 
  



Kirkcudbright 
  

0 
  

0 
  

1 
  

1 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Kirkwall 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

4 
  

4 
  



Lanark 
  

1 
  

1 
  

4 
  

3 
  

8 
  

6 
  



Lerwick 
  

0 
  

0 
  

1 
  

1 
  

4 
  

4 
  



Linlithgow 
  

0 
  

0 
  

10 
  

10 
  

6 
  

5 
  



Lochmaddy 
  

1 
  

1 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Oban 
  

2 
  

1 
  

10 
  

8 
  

3 
  

2 
  



Paisley 
  

0 
  

0 
  

22 
  

13 
  

17 
  

8 
  



Peebles 
  

2 
  

2 
  

1 
  

1 
  

1 
  

1 
  



Perth 
  

0 
  

0 
  

39 
  

26 
  

21 
  

18 
  



Peterhead 
  

2 
  

1 
  

8 
  

5 
  

5 
  

3 
  



Portree 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

2 
  

2 
  



Rothesay 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Selkirk 
  

0 
  

0 
  

2 
  

2 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Stirling 
  

1 
  

1 
  

25 
  

23 
  

8 
  

7 
  



Stonehaven 
  

0 
  

0 
  

1 
  

1 
  

1 
  

1 
  



Stornoway 
  

0 
  

0 
  

2 
  

2 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Stranraer 
  

0 
  

0 
  

7 
  

4 
  

3 
  

3 
  



Tain 
  

0 
  

0 
  

4 
  

4 
  

2 
  

2 
  



Wick 
  

0 
  

0 
  

4 
  

4 
  

1 
  

1 
  



  Notes:

  1. Where main offence.

  2. All courts figure includes a small number of High Court and district court cases.

Justice

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many recorded convictions there have been for drug trafficking in the (a) Hamilton North and Bellshill and (b) Kilmarnock and Loudoun parliamentary constituency in each of the last five years.

Hugh Henry: The information held centrally on persons with a charge proved cannot be broken down by parliamentary constituency. Figures for Hamilton and Kilmarnock Sheriff Courts are given in the table. Data for the year 2002 are not yet available.

  Persons with a Charge Proved where the Main Offence was a Drug Trafficking1 Offence in Selected Sheriff Courts, 1997-2001

  


 
Sheriff Court 
  

Year of Sentence 
  



1997 
  

1998 
  

1999 
  

2000 
  

2001 
  



Hamilton Sheriff Court 
  

59 
  

68 
  

48 
  

58 
  

75 
  



Kilmarnock Sheriff Court 
  

46 
  

49 
  

42 
  

42 
  

51 
  



  Note:

  1. Includes illegal importation, production and supply of drugs, and money laundering and other related offences.

Rail Network

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which organisation is, or will be, implementing the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 with regard to the provision of rail infrastructure; what funding has been allocated towards the cost of implementing such requirements; what action it plans to take on the matter, and what the timescale for any such action is.

Lewis Macdonald: The implementation of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 with regard to the provision of railway infrastructure is the responsibility of the Department of Transport.

Rail Network

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what effect the recent announcements by the Strategic Rail Authority will have on the service provided currently, and due to be provided in the future, on the East Coast Main Line.

Lewis Macdonald: Current and future proposals, which the Strategic Rail Authority has for the East Coast Main Line, in common with those it has for the rest of the UK railway network, are laid out in its Strategic Plan , published in January.

Rail Network

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent under the modern facilities at stations scheme, broken down by project and date of expenditure, since the inception of the scheme; how much remains to be spent, and what future projects are planned, broken down by date and cost.

Lewis Macdonald: The modern facilities at stations scheme is the responsibility of the Strategic Rail Authority.

Road Safety

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there have been any new road safety projects in the (a) West Dunbartonshire local authority, (b) Argyll and Bute local authority and (c) Dumbarton parliamentary constituency area in each of the last four years.

Lewis Macdonald: Yes. The information is not available in the format requested, however the following road safety schemes have been implemented on trunk roads in these areas in the last four years.

  


Year 
  

Route 
  

Location 
  

Description of Measures 
  



1999-2000 
  

A82 
  

Garshake Road Junction 
  

Right turn facility 
  



2000-01 
  

A82 
  

Crosslet 
  

Anti-skid treatment 
  



2000-01 
  

A82 
  

Dumbuck Quarry 
  

New signs, anti-skid treatment 
  



2000-01 
  

A82 
  

Milton and Dumbuck 
  

New signs, anti-skid treatment 
  



2000-01 
  

A82 
  

Balloch to Tarbet Route Accident Reduction Plan 
  

Signing, lining, anti-skid treatment, safety fence, chevrons 
  and bollards 
  



2000-01 
  

A82 
  

Stoneymollan Roundabout 
  

Anti-skid treatment, signing, chevrons, transverse yellow 
  bar markings and carriageway markings. 
  



2000-01 
  

A828 
  

Connel to Ballachulish Route Accident Reduction Plan 
  

Signing, lining, anti-skid treatment, chevrons and bollards 
  



2002-03 
  

A82 
  

Barloan Roundabout 
  

Anti-skid treatment, signing, chevrons, refurbishment of 
  yellow bar markings and carriageway markings. 
  



  Information about projects undertaken by local authorities on the local road network in their areas is not held centrally.

Roads

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received from South Lanarkshire Council on the need for investment in the roads infrastructure in its area.

Lewis Macdonald: We regularly receive representations on roads infrastructure issues from local authorities across Scotland, including South Lanarkshire Council.

Scottish Executive Funding

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what funds were allocated, and on what dates, to the South Lanarkshire Council area through (a) the National Childcare Strategy, (b) Sure Start Scotland, (c) New Community Schools, (d) New Housing Partnerships, (e) the Early Intervention Programme, (f) tackling health inequalities, (g) study support and out-of-school hours learning activities, (h) the Alternatives to Exclusion grant scheme, (i) social inclusion partnerships, (j) the Working Communities programme, (k) the Listening to Communities programme, (l) the Better Neighbourhood Services Fund, (m) Scottish Homes and (n) Communities Scotland.

Cathy Jamieson: Scottish Executive funding allocated to South Lanarkshire council for 2002-03 is as follows:

  

 

£ 
  



Childcare Strategy 
  

£942,700 
  



Sure Start Scotland 
  

£1,060,000 
  



New Community schools 
  

£1,637,920 
  



New Housing Partnerships 
  

£2,180,672 
  



Early Intervention Programme - Included 
  Under Sure Start Scotland 
  



Study Support 
  

£624,924 
  



Alternatives to Exclusion 
  

£637,910 
  



Social Inclusion Partnerships 
  

£3,886,779 
  



Working for Communities 
  

nil 
  



Listening to Communities 
  

nil 
  



BNSF 
  

£1.5 million 
  



Communities Scotland 
  

£8.71 million 
  



Scottish Homes 
  

£48,000 
  



  Working for Communities and Listening to Communities programmes have now ended.

  As set out in the white paper, Towards a Healthier Scotland which is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 3036), the aim of tackling health inequalities is being pursued through the contributions of an extensive range of social, economic and health programmes. Consequently, there is no discrete health inequalities funding programme for which figures can be given.

Sex Offenders

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has called for a report into the circumstances in which a person on the sex offenders' register was employed at Castle Douglas swimming pool.

Hugh Henry: We have asked Dumfries and Galloway Council, Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary and Disclosure Scotland to report on the circumstances of this case from their respective perspectives to see what lessons there are to be learned. We will consider what changes in practice and procedures may be required in the light of the reports.

Union of the Crowns

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will commemorate the role that the Scots language played in literary and artistic activity in the Scottish Court at the time of the Union of the Crowns in the events planned to mark the 400th anniversary of that union and what impact this commemoration will have on the use of Scots, particularly in literary terms.

Mike Watson: The advisory group is considering plans for a range of events, and an announcement will be made in due course.

Union of the Crowns

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what budget it has set aside for commemorating the 400th anniversary of the Union of the Crowns and where this budget is shown in published figures on its general expenditure.

Mike Watson: The programme of events planned to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Union of the Crowns is not yet finalised, but we anticipate that the Scottish Executive will provide some funding from its Major Events budget.

Union of the Crowns

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how its plans to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Union of the Crowns will assist in marketing Scotland as a clearly identifiable tourist destination.

Mike Watson: Scotland’s unique heritage is a proven attraction for visitors to this country, and the 400th anniversary of the Union of the Crowns is a significant date in Scotland’s rich cultural and political history. We expect that the wide range of events planned to commemorate the Union will attract more people to experience Scotland for themselves.

Union of the Crowns

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its target is for the number of additional tourists that will be attracted to Scotland as a result of the events to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Union of the Crowns.

Mike Watson: There is no target for the number of additional tourists that will be attracted to Scotland as a result of the events to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Union of the Crowns.

Union of the Crowns

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that the range of academic and popular views on the impact of the Union of the Crowns on the economy and culture is fully acknowledged by it and expressed through the events it is organising to commemorate the union's 400th anniversary.

Mike Watson: The advisory group is considering plans for a range of events, and an announcement will be made in due course.

Union of the Crowns

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure effective marketing of the events that it is organising to mark the 400th anniversary of the Union of the Crowns by emphasising the distinctiveness of a location, rather than its similarity to other competing destinations.

Mike Watson: Events to commemorate the Union of the Crowns will be promoted by VisitScotland, area tourist boards and Historic Scotland as appropriate.

Union of the Crowns

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what fees are being paid to members of the advisory group that is assisting it in devising events and a strategy for commemorating the 400th anniversary of the Union of the Crowns; what criteria were used to appoint the group; who appointed the members; to which minister the group will report and in what way, and whether these arrangements conform with the Nolan Committee's principles on public appointments.

Mike Watson: No fees are being paid to members of the advisory group, which consists of senior representatives of those organisations known to be involved in events to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Union of the Crowns. I invited the members of the group to participate, and they will report to the First Minister and me through the Executive.

  Because of the short-term nature of the group and its purely advisory role, the Union of the Crown’s advisory group does not come within the scope of the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.